When I was two years old I fell ill while my family was visiting relatives in the small town of Ada, MN (west of Leech Lake and Itasca, near the ND border). I was hospitalized for four days. Above is the complete hospital bill (I've photoshopped out my mom's name, but the rest is undoctored). How things have changed, not just re pricing, but in terms of the complexity of billing.....
Reposted from 2007, because the more I think about this, the staggering change is in the complexity of billing.
Addendum: I may have posted this one before as well. It's from 13 years later (1961) for orthopedic surgery at the Mayo Clinic to correct some of my polio deformities:
Surgeons fees $375. Three xrays $54. Seven blood tests $29. Grand total $648. Balance due after Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance: $75. How things have changed...
Handwritten? How burgeious!
ReplyDelete$75 in 1961 = about $850 today, $648 = about $7150 today
ReplyDeleteLearned something very important the other day....
ReplyDeleteHad an emergency in which I had to be transported to another hospital (at least that's the way it was told me). For less than an hour's time, I was billed over $4000. No special measures were taken on my journey.
THE TRANSPORT WAS OUT OF NETWORK. No one told me that!
In any case, my insurer has a set fee they will pay, but no more than that. So I was left with $3300 something to pay.
Then I found out about the No Surprises Act. While I supported Trump, I salute President Biden for doing something Trump probably wouldn't do. While the general gist is obvious, one cool fact is that IF IT IS AN EMERGENCY (it's not enough to just be in the ER), then EVEN IF YOU CONSENT TO OUT OF NETWORK SERVICE, it is not binding.
Then I thought deeper. Why wouldn't they want it to be a transport that was in-network for the largest insurer in Florida. Personally, I think it's because the hospital might have a little sweetheart deal going on. Instead of having to settle for the 800 or so that an insurer might give them, they can get what the insurer may give them...PLUS any extra they can get from you!
You didn't hear about the No Surprises Act? Good--pay off the rest of your bill! I think they count on people NOT KNOWING....
I wrote them a polite letter mentioning the above. I told them if I didn't hear from them by X date, I will consider the matter closed as-is.
Please let us know the outcome of your letter. Thank you!
DeleteWhen people ask where you were born, do you answer, "Ada Hospital?"
ReplyDeleteYeah, I was on my out anyway...